Phys.org news tagged with:humidityhttp://phys.org/
en-usPhys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine.How the legs of water striders repel water(Phys.org)—Materials scientists study biology at nanoscale in order to incorporate mechanical solutions to problems that have already been resolved by evolution. This biomimicry is evident in much recent technology, including Velcro material inspired by Alpine seeds clinging to dog fur, materials with self-healing capabilities, and synthetic melanin films inspired by bird feathers.http://phys.org/news/2015-07-legs-striders-repel.html
General Physics Mon, 20 Jul 2015 09:20:07 EDTnews356517949Using drones for better cropsA study carried out by researchers from Robotics and Cybernetics Research Group (RobCib) at Centre for Automation and Robotics (CAR) has used a drone to measure the temperature, humidity, luminosity and carbon dioxide concentration in a greenhouse. The capacity of an aerial vehicle to move in three-dimensional space and to place the sensor at any point have clear advantages over other alternatives such as the sensor networks. Thus, the use of this technology can help improve the climate control systems and monitor crops.http://phys.org/news/2015-07-drones-crops.html
Engineering Mon, 13 Jul 2015 08:40:03 EDTnews355994301New fog chamber provides testing options that could improve security camerasFog can play a key role in cloaking military invasions and retreats and the actions of intruders. That's why physical security experts seek to overcome fog, but it's difficult to field test security cameras, sensors or other equipment in fog that is often either too thick or too ephemeral.http://phys.org/news/2015-06-fog-chamber-options-cameras.html
Engineering Wed, 17 Jun 2015 08:20:01 EDTnews353746735Heating can damage the artistic heritage of churchesThe antiquated heating systems in many Spanish churches create abrupt variations in temperature and humidity which can negatively affect the conservation of its artistic heritage, especially in tall ceiling areas. Also, as the heat rises, it takes time for the parishioners below to feel comfortable after the heating systems are turned on. These are the findings of an analysis conducted on a church in Madrid by researchers from the Institute of Geosciences (UCM-CSIC).http://phys.org/news/2015-04-artistic-heritage-churches.html
Energy & Green Tech Fri, 10 Apr 2015 06:55:47 EDTnews347867739Tiny bio-robot is a germ suited-up with graphene quantum dotsAs nanotechnology makes possible a world of machines too tiny to see, researchers are finding ways to combine living organisms with nonliving machinery to solve a variety of problems.http://phys.org/news/2015-03-tiny-bio-robot-germ-suited-up-graphene.html
Nanomaterials Tue, 24 Mar 2015 14:14:31 EDTnews346425261Scientists race to halt decomposition of world's oldest mummiesAt least two thousand years before the ancient Egyptians began mummifying their pharaohs, a hunter-gatherer people called the Chinchorro living along the coast of modern-day Chile and Peru developed elaborate methods to mummify not just elites but all types of community members—men, women, children, and even unborn fetuses. Radiocarbon dating as far back as 5050 BC makes them the world's oldest man-made mummies.http://phys.org/news/2015-03-scientists-halt-decomposition-world-oldest.html
Archaeology & Fossils Tue, 10 Mar 2015 07:05:40 EDTnews345189929Slowly evaporating particles refute assumption used in air quality and climate modelsUbiquitous carbon-rich aerosol particles created by emissions from cars, trees, and other sources alter our climate and affect air quality. Until recently, the properties of these aerosols were hard to experimentally characterize, forcing computational models to rely on unsupported assumptions. For several years, scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have chipped away at these notions. They have provided hard data about viscosity, shape, morphology, volatility, and other fundamental particle properties. Recently, the team tackled how the particles, called secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), evaporate when the relative humidity is high. They found that these aerosols actually evaporate very slowly, sticking around for days.http://phys.org/news/2015-02-slowly-evaporating-particles-refute-assumption.html
Earth Sciences Thu, 12 Feb 2015 06:19:51 EDTnews342944379Safety agency to push for national air bag recall (Update)The federal government is demanding that the auto industry recall millions of additional cars equipped with faulty air bags that can injure—and even kill—a driver.http://phys.org/news/2014-11-safety-agency-national-air-bag.html
Other Tue, 18 Nov 2014 17:51:55 EDTnews335555410Water bottle for bike collects moisture from the airKristof Retezár, an Austrian designer, has come up with Fontus, which was designed as a self-filling water bottle for your bicycle. This device collects the moisture from the air, condenses it and stores it as safe drinking water. Powered by solar cells, the device harvests up to 0.5 liters in an hour's worth of cycling when under the right climate conditions.http://phys.org/news/2014-11-bottle-bike-moisture-air.html
Energy & Green Tech Tue, 18 Nov 2014 06:10:01 EDTnews335508983Eiler and Bald Fires in CaliforniaThe Eiler wildfire which began on July 31, 2014, has almost consumed 26,000 acres. It is currently unknown as to the cause of this fire. The weather patterns currently around this fire do not bode well for a quick containment. Maximum temperatures are in the mid- to high 80's with 10-20% relative humidity. There is an unstable atmosphere at work along with thunderstorm chances which are increasingly today (08/04) through Wednesday (08/06). A Red Flag Warning in effect for dry lightning on Monday (08/04).http://phys.org/news/2014-08-eiler-bald-california.html
Earth Sciences Mon, 04 Aug 2014 17:15:23 EDTnews326391312Comfortable climate indoors with porous glassProper humidity and temperature play a key role in indoor climate. In the future, establishing a comfortable indoor environment may rely on porous glass incorporated into plaster, as this regulates moisture particularly well and keeps mold at bay.http://phys.org/news/2014-07-comfortable-climate-indoors-porous-glass.html
Engineering Thu, 31 Jul 2014 08:10:02 EDTnews326009937Unclouding our view of future climateIf we had a second Earth, we could experiment with its atmosphere to see how increased levels of greenhouse gases would change it, without the risks that come with performing such an experiment. Since we don't, scientists use global climate models.http://phys.org/news/2014-05-unclouding-view-future-climate.html
Earth Sciences Thu, 22 May 2014 10:12:31 EDTnews319972336To wilt or not to wilt?The growth hormone abscisic acid affects the ability of plants to control water loss through their leaves as well as their ability to recuperate after drought conditions. Early growth conditions are crucial to long term abscisic acid levels.http://phys.org/news/2014-05-wilt.html
Biotechnology Wed, 14 May 2014 13:21:28 EDTnews319292461Establish the presence for the first time in Alava the fungus that causes potato blightScientists at the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Neiker-Tecnalia, led by the Doctor in Biology José Ignacio Ruiz de Galarreta, have for the first time identified the existence in Álava-Araba of the two sexual types A1 and A2 of the fungus Phytophthora infestans, responsible for potato blight. The experts have been able to confirm that the crossing between the two types leads to variants that are more resistant to conventional fungicides and can survive in adverse conditions of temperature and humidity for months and even years on end.http://phys.org/news/2014-04-presence-alava-fungus-potato-blight.html
Biotechnology Mon, 28 Apr 2014 09:57:46 EDTnews317897816Detecting fingerprints on non-porous material and in wet or humid conditionsA NEW technique being developed by West Australian chemists could provide crime investigators with a safer, simpler and more versatile method for extracting good quality fingermarks, even from non-porous surfaces and in wet or humid conditions.http://phys.org/news/2014-02-fingerprints-non-porous-material-humid-conditions.html
Materials Science Tue, 25 Feb 2014 10:40:01 EDTnews312541634Brown carbon works both sides of the climate equationThere is an atmospheric particle not satisfied with only a single role in the climate. The ambitious culprit? Brown carbon aerosol steps outside the box and acts to both warm and cool the climate. A brown secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is thought to be created when gases that are emitted from both natural and man-made sources are oxidized under certain environmental conditions. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Nevada at Reno studied the light absorbing and reflecting abilities of SOA formed from alpha-pinene (α-pinene), an important gas that gives off a piney smell and is naturally emitted from both coniferous and deciduous forests. The study is an important step in the continued search for evidence that these particles form from naturally occurring gases and increase dramatically in the presence of pollution from cities.http://phys.org/news/2014-02-brown-carbon-sides-climate-equation.html
Earth Sciences Tue, 04 Feb 2014 06:07:32 EDTnews310716411Moisture-buffering plaster sucks up water vapourWater vapour generated by cooking, taking a shower or drying damp clothes can condense on cold walls, encouraging the growth of mildew and microbes. The company Sto AG, in collaboration with Empa, has developed a special wall plaster to deal with this problem. Its ability to absorb moisture from the air is significantly better than that of conventional lime plaster.http://phys.org/news/2014-02-moisture-buffering-plaster-vapour.html
Engineering Mon, 03 Feb 2014 10:03:09 EDTnews310644182Getting a charge from changes in humidity(Phys.org) —A new type of electrical generator uses bacterial spores to harness the untapped power of evaporating water, according to research conducted at the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. Its developers foresee electrical generators driven by changes in humidity from sun-warmed ponds and harbors.http://phys.org/news/2014-01-humidity.html
Nanophysics Mon, 27 Jan 2014 10:43:42 EDTnews310041801New discovery should save wheat farmers millions of dollarsThe global wheat industry sometimes loses as much as $1 billion a year because prolonged rainfall and high humidity contribute to grains germinating before they are fully mature. The result is both a lower yield of wheat and grains of inferior quality. This phenomenon, known as pre-harvest sprouting or PHS, has such important economic repercussions for farmers around the world that scientists have been working on finding a solution to the problem for at least a couple of decades. Their focus has been on genetic factors, and on the interaction between genotypes and the environment as they have tried to breed wheat that is resistant to PHS, but with little success so far.http://phys.org/news/2013-10-discovery-wheat-farmers-millions-dollars.html
Biotechnology Wed, 09 Oct 2013 17:00:07 EDTnews300542494Cloud-chamber experiments show that clouds on Mars form in much more humid conditions than clouds on EarthAt first glance, Mars' clouds might easily be mistaken for those on Earth: Images of the Martian sky, taken by NASA's Opportunity rover, depict gauzy, high-altitude wisps, similar to our cirrus clouds. Given what scientists know about the Red Planet's atmosphere, these clouds likely consist of either carbon dioxide or water-based ice crystals. But it's difficult to know the precise conditions that give rise to such clouds without sampling directly from a Martian cloud.http://phys.org/news/2013-10-cloud-chamber-clouds-mars-humid-conditions.html
Earth Sciences Mon, 07 Oct 2013 16:22:52 EDTnews300381759Robot inspects pipes in petrochemical platformsWith the purpose of verifying onshore and offshore platforms such as Pemex's and detect cracks or corrosion, the Mexican Corporation of Material Research (COMIMSA) designed RoboPipe, a robot capable of inspecting the pipes in the chemical and petrochemical industry without risking personnel.http://phys.org/news/2013-09-robot-pipes-petrochemical-platforms.html
Robotics Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:05:24 EDTnews298800302Team studies DNA preservation in mass disastersTo help identify victims after mass disasters, such as hurricanes, tsunamis, terrorist attacks, wars or acts of genocide, researchers at Sam Houston State University will investigate new techniques to preserve tissue samples and speed up the DNA identification process.http://phys.org/news/2013-09-team-dna-mass-disasters.html
Biotechnology Wed, 18 Sep 2013 12:03:15 EDTnews298724585Unofficial 'Spider-Man' follows nature's leadEden Steven, a physicist at Florida State University's MagLab facility, discovered that simple methods can result in surprising and environmentally friendly high-tech outcomes during his experiments with spider silk and carbon nanotubes, the results of which are now published in the online research journal Nature Communications.http://phys.org/news/2013-09-unofficial-spider-man-nature.html
Materials Science Fri, 13 Sep 2013 14:10:18 EDTnews298300206Horsetail spores found able to 'walk' and 'jump' (w/ Video)(Phys.org) —A trio of researches working at University Grenoble in France has discovered that spores produced by horsetail plants are able to move around using "legs" known as elaters. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the researchers describe the types of movement exhibited by the spores when subjected to changing humidity conditions.http://phys.org/news/2013-09-horsetail-spores-video.html
Cell & Microbiology Wed, 11 Sep 2013 10:30:02 EDTnews298111063Super spider silk opens way to nano medical devicesScientists in the United States said on Tuesday they had coated spider silk with carbon nanotubes, creating a fibre that is not only super-strong but also conducts electricity.http://phys.org/news/2013-09-super-spider-silk-nano-medical.html
Materials Science Tue, 10 Sep 2013 11:48:46 EDTnews298032517Precise remote sounding for better climate modelsThe water budget of the troposphere, the bottom layer of the Earth's atmosphere, determines the weather and plays a central role in climate change. The isotope composition of water vapor, i.e. the ratio of light and heavy water molecules, provides insight into underlying mechanisms. Climate researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) gather the data required by in-situ measurements as well as by using remote sounding instruments, e.g. on board of satellites. In a recent campaign, they combined both methods and proved the precision of remote sounding measurements for the first time.http://phys.org/news/2013-09-precise-remote-climate.html
Earth Sciences Mon, 09 Sep 2013 07:18:03 EDTnews297929872Atmosphere's emission fingerprint affected by how clouds are stackedClouds, which can absorb or reflect incoming radiation and affect the amount of radiation escaping from Earth's atmosphere, remain the greatest source of uncertainty in global climate modeling.http://phys.org/news/2013-09-atmosphere-emission-fingerprint-affected-clouds.html
Earth Sciences Tue, 03 Sep 2013 10:10:01 EDTnews297417677The paradox of polar ice sheet formation solvedThe beginning of the last glacial period was characterized in the Northern hemisphere by major accumulation of snow at high latitudes and the formation of a huge polar ice sheet. For climatologists this was paradoxical, since snowfall is always associated with high humidity and relatively moderate temperatures. Now, a French team coordinated by MaríaFernanda Sánchez-Goñi, a researcher at EPHE working in the 'Oceanic and Continental Environments and Paleoenvironments' Laboratory (CNRS/Universités Bordeaux 1 & 4) has solved this paradox. By analyzing sediment cores dating from 80 000 to 70 000 years ago, the researchers have shown that during this period water temperatures in the Bay of Biscay remained relatively high, whereas temperatures in mainland Europe gradually fell. Carried northwards by wind, the humidity released by this thermal contrast appears to have caused the snowfall that formed the polar ice sheet. Their work was published on the Nature Geoscience website on September 1, 2013.http://phys.org/news/2013-09-paradox-polar-ice-sheet-formation.html
Earth Sciences Sun, 01 Sep 2013 13:00:13 EDTnews297254823Wildfires projected to worsen with climate changeResearch by environmental scientists at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) brings bad news to the western United States, where firefighters are currently battling dozens of fires in at least 11 states.http://phys.org/news/2013-08-wildfires-worsen-climate.html
Environment Wed, 28 Aug 2013 17:19:31 EDTnews296929154New Mycotoxin detection device goes from prototype to productionMycotoxins are naturally occurring fungi which typically grow on wheat-based foodstuffs, including cereals and bread, under humid conditions. They can cause a variety of adverse health effects in humans such as damaging kidneys or compromising immune systems. In efforts to safeguard the food chain, a series of EU-funded research teams developed a low-cost device able to detect traces of mycotoxins in feed, food and beverages.http://phys.org/news/2013-08-mycotoxin-device-prototype-production.html
Other Wed, 21 Aug 2013 06:50:01 EDTnews296284926